Internal-combustion turbine.



E. F. HOPKINS. INTERNAL OOMBUSTION TUBBINE. rrLIoATIon FILED .1.111. 11,1910.

1,047,227. Patented Deo. 17,1912.

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E. F. HOPKINS. INTERNAL coMBUs'rIoN TURBINE. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 11,1910. 1,047,227 Patented Dec. 17, 1912.

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E. F. HOPKINS. INTERNAL OOMBUSTION TUBBINE. APPLIoATIoN FILED JAN. 11,1910.

Patented Dec. 17,*1912.

15G/pans /Jzzwg UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EZRA F. HOPKINS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

INTERNAL-COMBUSTION TURBINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 17, 1912.

Application led January 11, 1910. Serial. No. 537,447.

To all whom t may concern.' l

Be it known that I,'EzRA F. HOPKINS, a

citizen ofthe United States, residing at is a sectional view of aninternal-combus.

tion turbine embodying the features of my invention, the view beingtaken substan' tially in the plane of dotted line 1 of Fig. 4. Figs. 2,3 and 4 are sectional views taken in the planes of dotted lines 2 2, 3 3and 4 4,

respectively, of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a section onA line 5 5 of Fig. 2illustrating the spark plugs. Fig. 6 is a detail view of the valve ringand the spark plugs moving with said ring. Fig. 7 is a section on line 77 of Fig. 2. Fig. 8 is a section on line 8 8 of Fig. 2.

. Figs. 9, 10 and 11 are fragmental detail sections illustrating variousforms of buckets or blades. Fig. 12 is a fragmental det-ail illustratingone of the packing rings for'the outlet ports. Fig. 13 is a section online 13 13 ofFig. 4.

The embodiment which I have selected for illustration comprises a statorl (Fig. 1) containing a suitable number of chambers in which anexplosive mixture is compressed and ignited, and a rotor 2 carryingbuckets or blades adapted to be acted upon by the expanding products ofcombustion. As herein shown, the stator consists of a casing having thegeneral form of a disk and comprising the parallel annular side flanges3 and 4 and the peripheral wall 5. stator has an axial stem 6 by meansof which it is supported and held against r0- tation, the stem beingfixed in a bearing 7 of the supporting frame.

The rotor is in the form of a casing which `incluses the stator andconsists of an annular flange 8 surrounding and ttingupon the peripheryof the stator, said iiange being connected by a web 9 with a shaft 10which is rotatably mounted in a bearing 11 of the supporting frame. :Therotor further comy fluid-tight contact with the inner 'of the rotor.

prises an 'annular inwardly extendingian'ge 12 secured by suitablemeans, as screws 13, to the flange 8. y

.Within the stator is a plurality of cylinders 14, in this instance fourc linders being provided. The outer end o each cylinder is closed by ahead 15. Each cylinder is provided with an outlet port 16 extending fromthe closed outer end of the cylinder'- to the peripheryv of the stator,said port having its major axis coincident with the .major plane ofthe'rotor and extending in a forward direction from the cylinder. lAsindicated in Figs.` 4 and 13, the port 16 is relativelyV narrow in thedirection of the length of the cylinder, but in the direction at rightangles thereto the width of said port is preferably equal to theVdiameter of the cylinder.

If it be deemed desirable to provide special means for preventingleakage of gases between the rotor and the stator, some such means asthat illustrated in Figs. 12 and 13 s may be provided. In said views Ihave illustrated a rectangular packing member 16a movably seated in acorrespondingly shaped recess in the stator. The ends of the packingmember 16a are beveled and overlie the beveled edges of the-rings 24 and31, as shown in Fig. 13. vExpansion of said rings willtend to keep thepacking member 16a in periphery In each of the cylinders 14 is a piston17 which is connected by means of a rod 18-to a crank19 upon a shaft 20.',Ihe `four shafts 20 are connected by means of gear `wheels 21 to agear wheel'22 xed upon @a stud23 forming an axialextension of the shaft10. The `gear wheels 21 and 22 are of equal size, therefore it will beseen that each piston Will make two strokes (or one reciprocation) ineach revolution of the rotor.

Contacting with the flange`3v of the stator is a ring 24, the beveledledge 25 of said ring' contacting with the beveled surface 26 vof therotor. The ring 24 is caused to rotate with the rotor by any suitablemeans, as pins 27.

The explosive mixture is drawn into the cylinders 14 upon the inwardstroke ofthe pistons 17. In the construction herein shown, the meansffor admitting the combustible mixture to the cylinders comprises apassage 28 formed in the .stem 6 and leading from a carbureter or othersuitable source of supply (not shown) vto radial channels 29 formedinthe st-ator. let ends of the channels 29 open upon the flange 4 of thestator, adjacent to the cyl' inders, and each of the latter is providedwith an intake port 3() communicating with- `edge of a ring 33. Thevalve ring 31 in this instance is caused to travel ,with the rotor byreasonof the fact that thespark plugs 34 extend through the; flange 12and said valve ring. For 'convenience in manufacture, the spark plugs34m'ay be seated-in a 'section 35 formed separate from the remainder ofthevalvering. Said section extends through the flange 12, as' shown inFigs. 2,' 54 and 7. The inner ends of the spark plugs liewithin achamber 36 formed in the inner face of the section 35, said chamberbeing arranged to'communicate in succession with -the intake ports 30. iI have, i in this instance, provided vtwo spark plugs,

the one offering the `leastzresistance operati f ing until in needofcleaning or replace-- ment, when the other automatically. goes intoservice.

Any-suitable means may be provided for connecting .the spark plugs incircuit at the'v proper times. I have herein shownv a ring 37 ofsuitable insulatin material, saidvring being attachedto the ange 12 bysuitable means, -such as bolts 38. periphery of saidring' is a ring 39of conducting material which is .connected by-A means of a binding post40 and a wire v41 with the spark plugs 34. Upon the ring 39 are:fourcontact projection`s`42 (Fig. 8) arranged to hev broughtsuccessively in contact with a spring-pressed contact brush 43 pivotedat 44. upon a collar 45 of insulat. ing material fixed on the bearing 7.The brush 43 is connected by the Ywire 46 to a suitable source ofelectrical energy.

In the present embodiment a charge is exploded in each of the cylindersin succession, one explosion taking place in each cylinder during eachrevolution of the rotor.

equivalent devicesA positioned so as to come into operative relationwith each cylinder 'as the charge in said cylinder is ignited.

The buckets or blades may take various forms, a. few practicalconstructions' being lillustrated inFigs. 4, 9, 10 and 11. I n-Fg.

U on the inner Thel `rotor is provided Withbuckets, blades, or

4 are shown six buckets 47, 48, 49,. 50,151 and 52 formed in theperipheral flange 8 'i of the rotor, each being of the same width as theoutlet ports 16, as shown-in Fig. 7.

vEachbucket comprises a wall 53 which may ybe radial, or approximatelyso,- ai wall 54 extending substantially at right angles with thewall 53,anda wall 55'inclined with relation to the wall 54 so as to. make thebucket slightly tapering with its smaller or exhaust' end`56 openingupon the periphery of the rotor.

. Inorder to muiiiethe noise of the exhaust throughthe 4openings 56 vandcause a strong voutward flou;` or suction through the last two or"Athree buckets. to reach' the port 16,

I place upon the 'periphery of the rotor an -elongated hood 57 4open atits forward and rearends. Saidvv hood is restrictedv in size towarditsrear end,b'eing of smallest crosssection at a' point rearwardly oftheexhaust opening of' t he'1ast bucket, andrearwardly' of said pointbeing ofincreasinglv larger cross-section, as indicated in Fig. 4. Thehood 57 causes a rapid flow of air past the outlet -ends ofthe buckets,thus causing a free and quick exhaust from said buckets,

especially from the rearmost bucket. The hood 57 serves four purposes:It acts as a muiler; it accelerates the exhaust from the buckets and thecylinder; it cools that .pori

tion of the rotor which requires cooling, the extensive superficial areaof the hood facilitating the rapid radiation of heat, and it'balancesthe rotor bycompensating for Athe metal removed in forming the buckets-The-construction illustrated in Fig. 9 comprises threebuckets 58 vofthesame general form as those shown in Fig. 4, but the inlet ends of thebuckets 58 are proportionately largerthanas shownin Fig. 4.

In Fig. 1 0 I have represented 'three 4buckets 59 60 61, each having aradial wall and a wall tangential -to the periphery. of the stator',said walls. forminga triangular bucket having one of its apexes directedrearwardly. The rearendsof the buckets .60 461 are provided with exhaustports 62.

Fig. 11 illustrates a rotor provided with .eleven similarbuckets 63eachliaving its smaller or exhaust end opening upon the periphery of therotor.A The inlet ends of the buckets. 63 are proportionately smallerthan those ofthe buckets shown in Figs. 4, 9.

and 10.

In explaining the operation Vof the present embodiment of theinventionthe,.several cylinders will be indicated in` Fig.;14lbytheletters a b c d, and the pistonsibytl'ichai acters a Zi c d', and thedirection.ofi"piston .travel by arrows. In cylinder a. a charge is beingignited, in cylinder b a charge is being compressed, in'cylinder c acharge has been .nearly drawn in, and in cylinder d the draw# intocommunication with the outlet port 164 of said cylinder, the pressureofthe expanding products of the combustion being exerted upon the walls53 and 54 of said bucket. The buckets 48, 49 and 50 successively comeinto register with said outlet port 16 and receive the pressure of theexpanding gases. By the time the buckets 51 and 52 reach the port 16 theforce of the gases has been substantially spent and the larger part ofthe gases remaining in the cylinder a is, exhausted through the openings56 of said buckets 51 and 52 by the action of the air current flowingthrough the hood 57. While expansion is taking place in the cylinder a,the port 16 and the buckets-of the rotor, the piston a. is movingoutwardly. Just before the last bucket passes the port 16, the piston abegins its inward stroke and the inlet port 32 in the valve ring comesinto register with the intake port 30 of the cyl inder a, whereby afresh charge is drawn into said cylinder during the inward stroke ofsaid piston. The suction begins just before the last bucket passes theport 16 and while the burnt gases are being exhausted through said port,hence the incoming charge follows the burnt gases into said port andassists to clear the cylinder of the products of the precedingexplosion. Before the inner end of the stroke is reached, the port 32 has passed the intake port 30, and the valve ring has blanked said intakeport. Upon the succeedlng outward stroke of the piston the new charge iscompressed, the spa-rk plugs again reaching the port 16 when the pistona is thirty degrees from the outer end of its stroke. The cycle justdescribed as 'taking place in cylinder a occurs in each cylinder insuccession, whereby' as many impulses are .nnparted to the rotor 1n eachrevolution as'there are cylinders,-in this in-` stance, fo-ur impulses.l

It will be understood that the invention isnot limited to the preciseconstruction shown and described, for various modifications will occurto' persons skilled in the art.

I claimt 1. In an internal combustion turbine, in combination, a statorcomprisinga plurality of radially disposed cylinders, eachcylinderhaving an outlet port, a piston for each cylinder, a rotorhaving an element which is concentric to the stator and bears yasurrounding relation thereto, said element having a portion of itsextent characterized by al bucket format-ion arranged to traverse theoutlet ports, and the remaining portion of its extent imperforate, and agear connection operatively interposed between the rotor and thepistons.

2. In an internal combustion turbine, in

combination, a stator comprising a plurality of radially disposedcylinders, each cylinder having an outlet port and an intake port, apiston for each cylinder, a rotor having an element which is concentricto the stator and bears a surrounding relation thereto, lsaid elementhaving a portion of its extent characterized by a bucket formationarranged to successively traverse the outlet ports, and t-he remainingportion of its extent imperforate, fluid-admission means including adevice common to the cylinders and carried by the rotor, for causing theadmission of gas successively to the intake portsand gear connectionsoperatively interposed between the rotor and pistons.

3. In an internal combustion turbine, in combination, a statorcomprising a cylinder having an outlet port; a piston in said cylinder;a rotor having a bucket arranged to be brought into communication withsaid outlet port; a connection between the rotor and the piston formoving the latter; a spark plug mounted on said rotor adjacent to saidbucket; a contact member mounted on said rotor and electricallyconnected with said spark plug; and a contact device mounted on thestator and arranged to engage the rst mentioned contact in the revo- I arotor having a bucket arranged to be brought into communication withsaid outlet port; a piston in said cylinder; a connection between the`rotor and the piston for moving the latter; charge-conducting means; avalve ring attached to said rotor for alternately blanking said intakeport and connecting said intake port with said charge-conductin means; aspark plug attached to said va ve ring at a pomt adjacent to saidbucket; and means for periodically operating said spark plug.

5. In an internal combustion turbine, in combination, a stator havin anannular marginal outline and comprising a cylinder having an outlet portopening upon the periphery of the stator, and an intake port Ippeninguon one side of the stator; a piston 1n said cy inder; a rotor inclosingthe stator and tting upon the periphery o the latter, saidl rotor havinga bucket arranged to be brought into communication with said outof thestator ladjacent to said intake port;

means traveling with the rotor for alternately `blanking said intakeportland connecting said intake port with said channel; andcharge-igniting means.

6. In an internal combustion turbine, in coru-l bination, a statorhaving an annular marfginal outline and comprising a cylinder having anoutlet port opening upon the periphery of the' statorv and an intakeport opening upon one side of the stator; a piston in said cylinder; arotor inclosing the stator and comprising an annular flange fitting uponthe periphery of the stator, and an an- .to said inwardly-extendingannular flange upon the rotor, said valve ring being arranged toalternately blank said intake ort and connect said intake port with saidc annel; and charge-igniting means;

7. In an internal combustion turbine, in combination, a stator having anannular marginal outline and comprising a plurality l of cylindershaving outlet ports and intake ports; a rotor inclosing the stator andhavl ing bucketsrarranged to be brought successively into communicationwith the outlet ports of said cylinders; a piston in each of saidcylinders; a connection between the rotor and the pistons for moving thelatter, said stator having channels therein for the explosive mixture,which channels have outlet openings adjacent to the respective intakeports of the cylinders; an axial supporting stemfor the stator, whichstem is tubular and communicates with said channels 'and forms a conduitfor the explosive mixture;'means traveling with the rotor foralternately blanking each intake port and Aconnectil'lg such port withthe adjacent channel; and charge'igniting means.

8., In an internal combustion turbine, in combination, a 'stator havingan annular marginal outline and comprising a plurality of cylindershaving outlet ports opening upon the periphery ofthe stator',andintakeports opening upon one side ofthe stator; a piston` in each cylinder; arotor inclosing the stator and fittlng upon the periphery of the latter,said rotor having a'bucket in its peripheryv arranged to be brought'successively into communication with said outlet ports; a connectionbetween the .rotor and theY pistons for moving the latter, said statorhaving channels therein for an explosive mixture, which channels openupon one side of the stator at points adjacent tothe respective intakeports; an axial supporting stem for the stator, said stem being tubularand communicating with said channels and forming a conduit for theexplosive mixture; a valve rin traveling with said rotor and contactingt e intake-port side of the stator, said ring being adapted toalternately blank each intake porta`y and connect said intake port withthe adjacent channel; and charge-igniting means.

9. In an internal combustion engine, in combination, a stator comprisinga plurality of radially 4vdisposed cylinders, said' stator having on itsperiphery a plurality of-outlet ports and a continuously uno structedchannel connecting each, of said cylinders respectively with one of saidports; a piston in each cylinder; a rotor having an element which isconcentric to the stator and bears a surrounding relation thereto, theelement having a bucket arranged to be brought into communication withsaid outlet ports; a shaft driven by said rotor; and means connectingsaid shaft and each of said pistons whereby said pistons arereciprocated in the rotation of the rotor.

10. In an internal combustion turbine, in combination, a statorcomprising a cylinder having an outlet port; a piston in said cylinder;a rotor havlng a plurality of buckets arranged to be brought intocommunication with said outlet port; a connection between the rotor andthe piston for movin the latter; and means havin an ejector-li e actionfor accelerating the ex aust from one of said buckets.

1l. In an internal combustion turbine, in

`combination, a stator comprising a cylinder having an outlet port; apiston in said cylinder; a rotor having a plurality of buckets arrangedto be brought into communication with said out-let` port; a connectionbetween the rotor and the piston for moving the latter; and ahoodcarried by said rotor and extending over one of said buckets foraccelerating' the exhaustl from said bucket. I

, .12. In an internal combustion turbine, in combination, a statorcomprising a cylinder having an outlet port; a lston in said cylinder; arotor having a gucket` arranged to be brought into communication withsaid outlet port; a connection between the rotor and the piston formoving the latter; and a hood fixed upon and rotating with said rotorand extending over the outlet from said bucket for mulhng the exhaust.

13. In an internal combustion turbine, in combination, a statorcomprising a c linder having an outlet port; a plston in sai cylinder; arotor having a group of buckets arranged to be brought intocommunication with said out-let port; a connection between the rotor andthe piston for moving the latter; and a mutiler hood fixed to said rotorand extending over said group of buckets n 'and serving to balance therotor by compenp marginal outline and comprising a peripheral flange andradially disposed cylinders having outlet ports opening upon saidperipheral flange; a rotor inclosing the stator and tting upon saidperipheral flange and having a bucket arranged to be broughtintocommunication with said outlet ports, said rotor serving of itself toblank said outlet ports when said bucket is not in communicationtherewith; a piston in each cylinder; and a connection between the rotorand the pistons for moving the latter.

15. In an internal combustion turbine, in combination, a stator havingan annular marginal outline and comprising a peripheral flange, anannular side flange, and cylinders having outlet ports, opening uponsaid peripheral flange and intake ports opening upon said side ange; arotor comprising an annular peripheral flange fitting upon the peripheryof the stator and an annular inwardly-extending flange secured to thepe? ripheral flange of the rotor, the peripheral flange of the rotorhaving a group of buckets therein adapted to be brought into commu#nication with said outlet ports, the periph-- eral flange of the rotorserving to blank said outlet ports when said group of buckets is not incommunication therewith; a piston in each cylinder; a connection betweenthe rof tor and the pistons for moving the latter, said stator havingchannels therein for an explosive mixture,.which channels open upon theside flange of the lstator at points adjacent to the respective intakeports; an axial supporting stem for the stator, said stem being tubularand communicating with said channels and forming a conduit for the eX-plosive mixture; a valve ring fixed to the inwardly-extending flange ofthe rotor and contacting the side flange of the stator, said ring beingadapted to alternately blank each intake port and connect said intakeport with the adjacent channel; a spark plug' carried by theinwardly-extending flange of the rotor and arranged to be brought intooperative relation with the successive intake ports; and means foroperating said spark plug.

16. In an internal combustion turbine, in combination, astatorcomprising a plurality of cylinders, each cylinder having anoutlet port and an intake port, a piston for each cylinder, a rotorincluding an element which has a bucket formation to traverse the outletpc-rts, fluid-admission means including a device common to the cylindersand carried by the rotor for causing-the admission of gas successivelyto the intake ports, and gear connections operatively interposed betweenthe rotor and t-he pistons. l l

17. In an internal combustion turbine, in combination, a statorcomprising a plurality of cylinders, each cylinder' having an out-letport and an intake port, a piston 'for each cylinder, a rotor includingan element which has a bucket formation to traverse the outf let ports,fluid-admission means including a device common to the cylinders andcarried by the rotor for causing the admission of.

gas successively to the intake ports, ignition .means including a sparkplug carried by said device and adapted to lbe moved successively intorelation to the respective cyl1nders, and gear connections operativelyin-` terposed between the rotor and the pistons.

18. In an internal combustion turbine, in combination, a statorcomprising a plurality of cylinders, each cylinder having an outlet portand an intake port, a piston for each cylinder, a rotor including anelement which has a bucket formation to traverse the outlet ports, meansoperated by the rotor for causing the admission of gas to thecylinders,ignition means mcludlng a spark plug which is associated with the rotorfor rotationV

